New Year's Eve 2015 Weather: Record Cold, Possible Snow In Southern California, Las Vegas, Texas

Someone forgot to tell Mother Nature that New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration. Much of the United States Southwest will experience bone-chilling cold on Wednesday night, and some areas – including Las Vegas – may even encounter snowfall, according to reports.

“Normally sunny and mild Las Vegas is expected to experience unusual and potentially historic weather for the New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day time period,” the National Weather Service said in a statement. “A cold and somewhat moist storm system is expected to pass across the Mojave Desert between Tuesday night and New Year’s Day, bringing a variety of high impact weather to Las Vegas and surrounding area.”

Revelers who travel to Las Vegas for New Year’s Eve could even face snowfall – something that hasn’t occurred in the city since 2008, ABC News reports. Temperatures dropped below freezing earlier this week for the first time in more than a year.

Las Vegas has only experienced 15 snowstorms that produced accumulation greater than 1 inch since the city began keeping records in 1937, none of which occurred on New Year’s Eve, AccuWeather.com notes. Planned festivities, such as the city’s trademark fireworks show, have yet to be impeded, but high winds could necessitate a cancellation. “But we’ll be ready to go. The theme this year, is ‘don’t stop the party,’ so we’re not going to stop it yet,” said fireworks show coordinator Phil Grucci, according to NBC News.

Las Vegas isn’t the only major southwestern city bracing for tough winter weather on New Year’s Eve. Storm warnings are in place for an area stretching from southern California to Texas. Attendees of the 2015 Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, will encounter record 32-degree cold, a temperature not seen on New Year’s Day since 1952, the Los Angeles Times reports.

Freezing temperatures, combined with the possibility of rain or snow, forced city officials in Austin, Texas, to postpone its planned New Year’s celebration. “This decision was made for the safety and comfort of the entire Austin community. Austin’s New Year is designed to be a family-friendly celebration featuring the best of Austin arts, music, food and culture,” Austin’s Corporate Special Events Manager William Manno said in a statement.

Despite the cold, the show will go on for New York City’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration. Times Square celebrators will battle 26-degree temperatures and strong winds to watch the ball drop, according to Weather.com.